THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1169, 8 December 1868, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

NELSON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1868.

Most satisfactory news in connection with the admirable service performed by the Fnendiy Maoris against the rebels of Poverty Bay, appears in our telegraphic intelligence. Our shortness of space will not permit our doing more than referring to the cheering facts the telegraph supplies; but two engagements, and a, loss to the rebels of nearly a hundred killed, with.very small loss on the side of our native allies, is. something on which the Colony may fairly congratulate itself. .■■■-■•;; ;-V-

Trre official returns of the Import and Export trade of New Zealand,, for the Quarter ended 30th September last, have been published in the Gazette. They show a total value of articles imported of £L,20i,563 against £1,170,085 for the corresponding Quarter of last year, which gives an increase in Imports of a little over £34,000 for the Quarter. The Exports for the same period amounted to £725,549, against £824,873, in. the same Quarter of 1867, showing a falling off in the last Quarter of about £100,000.

We observe that the new Otago daily paper, the JVeio Zealand Sun, has struck out a new v lino of politics;'and has set up as the organ of protection. In a recent article it advocates the imposition of a tax upon all bread-stuffs imported into this Colony,' Very general praise was bestowed on a proposal made in the House of Eepresentativea, | last session, by Mr. Vogel, who advocated, with much ability, the propriety of applying through the Home Government to the Government of the United States of America, requesting the American Government to* ■ reduce the heavy import duty on foreign wools, which are so highly taxed by tbe Customs that they are almost prohibited from entering the American market. The advantage to New Zealand of the abolition of the woo] duty, or of an arrangement by which Colonial wools would be admitted free into America, is so obvious, that it requires no remark. But the odd thing would be, were the Smi's proposal seriously contemplated, that this Colony would be placed in. the singular position of saying to America,. " Open your ports for the admission of our wool, and we shall reciprocate by closing, or at least partially closing, our ports against your wheat and flour!" Into the question.ofa bread tax, as affecting the social condition of the Colony, we do not at present enter; but, meanwhile, should be glad to sea the Sun dissolve the mists of confusion which surround the two propositions, -

Aw order in Council," published in the Gazette, \ says that, all passenger vessel?, while lying alongside a wharf or jetty, must haven movcable gangway, with double frido rails or stanchions, with ropes rovo taut through the shiup, the top rail not to be under 3 feet 3 inches high. By. a notice in the Gazette the Port of Nelson is described as comprehending; a circle of three nautic ir.iles radius from the Lbhthouse ; and the extent of Westport as a port is declared to comprehend a circle of two nautic miles radius from the signal station. In our report of Wednesday's Magistrate's Court proceeding, in the case of Light band v. Bennett, the plaintiff was represented to have brought an action against defendant for interest on tho purchase money of premises for carrying on a soap-making business. The plaintiff calls our attention to this us an error, explaining that the deed upon which this claim was was founded referred to a dwelling-house in Brookstreet, and not the premises used for thesoap-n.aking business. . . Eiflt: Firing for Colonial Government Prizes. —The Wellington Evening Post of December 4th, 6tates that the prize firing of 1869 will not be general, but prizes to the amount of £500 will be fired for in the North Island, at. places to be hereafter specified, and a similar amount for the Middle Island, to be fired for at Dunedin. [Considering the state of the Colony, and the heavy expenditure the native rebellion is causing, would it not be wi*e, for once, to save both the money an i ammuaition ?—Ed.] The Next Meeting op the General Assembly. —A Gazette dated 3rd December, further prorogues the meeting of tho General Assembly from thn 29th December, until Friday, the 26th day of February next, when both Houses are instructed to meet in Parliament, at the City of Wellington, there to take into consideration the state and welfare of the said Colony of New Zealand, and therein to do as may seem noce*sary. [Parliament will then probably be further prorogued for three months more.] The notorious Garrett has been sentenced, at Dunedin, to six months' imprisonment for stealing a clock, and twelve months' imprisonment for having | skeleton keys. He was also committed for trial upon two distinct charges—breaking into Mr. Allen's premises, Princess-street, and stealing from Mr. Bagley's shop, Great King-street. The rascal had, for a long time, imposed upon a small religious body in Dunedin, who were led to credit his earnestness and conversion, but whose trust was soon dispelled ■when this discovery fulfilled the repeated prophecies of his old friends the police. Schafer, the German traveller, left Auckland, on November 21st, in the s.s. Hero, for Melbourne. The Otago escort arrived at Dunedin, on Tuesday) Dacember Ist, with 5719 ounces of gold. A Solicitor Heavily Fined. —At Dunedin, Mr. Smythies, a solicitor, has been fined £500 for a breach of '"the Practitioners Act, 1866."— Wellington Independent. Alexander M'Gowan, the lad eharced with breaking telegraph insulators, was tried at Wellington on December 2nd, found guilty, and sentenced to fourteen day^' imprisonment-. A Reprehensible Practice. —The dead borlie3 of two persons, who had died of a most violent type of typhoid fever, were brought, recently, from the Thames to Auckland, for interment. The Southern Cross justly remarks : —" The practice of bringing up bodies to Auckland for interment under such circumstances cannot be too severely reprehended. In such cases the bodies should be immediately interred at the Thames, and not brought on to Auckland, with the chance of infecting persons on the steamer or in Auckland. We trust the authorities in Shortland will prevent such a step being taken in future." Why are the shareholders of Huntls claim like the General Government ? — Because they are always drawing gold from their bank, ami never putting any into it. — Auckland Punch. Subject for Two Historical Pictures. —One being the scene of the massacre at Poverty Bay, the other the peaceful attitude of our noble defenders playing cricket-at Auckland, in the Albert Barracks. — Ibid. The Chinese who lately arrived at Hokitika from Otago are now being allowed to settle down quietly, and have, in several instances, purchased claims from Europeans. More are expected from Otago. Gold Exports.—We give from the New Zealnnd Gazette the following comparative return of the quantity and value of gold exported from the various Provinces of New Zealand, for the Quarters ending respectively September 30, 1868, and September 30, 18G7:— Sept. 30, 1867. Sept. 30, 1863. oz. £ oz. £ Auckland ... 746 2 938 13,503 42,723 Marlborough 283 1,132 Nelson 63,427 273,708 50,297 201,188 Westland ...71,200 284.800 49,450 197.840 Otago 32,778 131,112 37,662 150,618 Southland ... 5,727 10,908 1,239 4,936 Totals ..176,161 704,598 152,221 597,355 Shewing a falling off in this year's quarter of 23,910 ounces, and in value of £107,213. A Faithful Maori Chief and his Wipe.—The Jlaivke's Say Herald's correspondent writing from Turanganui, on Nov. 25, states : —"Mr. Wyllie, his ■wife and family, in flying for their lives, arrived at Tutari's house early on the morning of the fatal 10th November. They found the chief ' sick almost unto death,' sitting under ht3 verandah. He had seen no Hauhaus, and knew not the meaning of the distant shots until told by Mr. Wyllie, who advised him to fly to the scrub. Tutrai replied he was too ill even to do that, but urged Mr. Wyllie to continue his flight —this chief being aware that Mr. Wyllie was particularly obnoxious to Te Kooti, on account of his having aviated in the capture of Te Kooti in 1865, for supplying tire Hauhaus at Waerengi-a-hika pi ■with ammunition. After Mr. Wyllie left Tutari, Te Kooti, with a number of men, arrived, who enquired for Mr. Wvllie —Te Kooti stating that he intended to cut the flesh in strips from him. Tutari, though warned of the consequences of refusal, declined to give the information. His wife was then led away by some of Te Kooti's men, whilst others bayoneted her husband, her uncle sitting by. She was then brought to Te Kooti, who shewed her the body, and demanded which road Mr. Wyllie had taken ; the good creature indicated a different direction to the right one, upon which the murderers rode off laughing, and Mr, Wyllie and his family escaped." Mr. T. B. Hilt., of Auckland, has been elected a member of the Provincial Council for the electoral district of the City of Auckland West. Sporting.—A match for £50 a-sido took place on the Tararu racecourse, Auckland, on December Ist, between Mr. Young's b. g. Robin Hood and Mr. Mulligan's b. g. King Dan. The latter horse won by a couple of lengths. As Robin Hood had won a previous match, great interest was taken in the event. A native shrub better adapted than (he mulberry for feeling silkworms, is said to have just been discovered on Phillip Island and the adjacent mainland of Victoria. A greater quantity of silk is produced by worms fed upon this plant than any other. A Long Race. —In the ten mile race at Wagga Wigga (New South Wales), twelve horses started. Australian (by a half length) ... 1 Comet 2 Riverina 3 Time, 23 minutes 35 seconds. PuGiLissr in Victoria.—Sellers, the pugilist, has beaten Carstairs in the prize fight for the championship of Victoria, after fighting eightosn rounds. A Warning.—The Melbourne Age of Nov. 14, (jays : —" A lesson as to what we should avoid in eating and drinking is conveyed in the awfully sudden death which recently occurred in a family residing near Castlemaine. First, the children died one after the other; then on Monday evening the wife, and on Tuesday morning the husband. From a'i inquest held on Wednesday, it appears that the cause of death was typhoid fever, induced by the use of tainted meat and stagnant water." A Valiant Sheriff. —A telegram from Melbourne states': —" Major Wallace, the Sheriff of Ballarat, has offered his services to fight in the Maori war, if he can muster sufficient followers under his command. The Victorian Government has granted him leave of Hbsenoe for twelve months."